What are the essential points that should remember when doing the conveyancing process?

A consultation leaflet was produced and meetings held throughout the UK, looking at how we could target funds more effectively. A survey form was also widely distributed. Market research organisation NOP was commissioned to analyse responses and reported back in November. We fed these comments into the final version of the Strategic plan, which was submitted to Culture Secretary Chris Smith in Spring 1999 and laid before Parliament in May 1999.
The consultation confirmed our policy of supporting country and regional diversities and priorities within your existing main grants programmes, Community involvement and Poverty and disadvantage.

These broad programmes will enable us to meet particular country needs. Consultation showed that the voluntary sector needs increased development and support. This is currently being addressed within Community involvement but we will consider ways of giving this a clearer focus. The sector shown considerable support for our specialist grants programmes. We will continue to run the International grants programme for UK-based charities overseas on an annual basis. We are currently considering how best to improve our dedicated research programme, supporting medical and social research. The fruits of this can be seen in the Awards for All programme, which has already won the enthusiastic support of the voluntary sector.

We also hope to work closely with the New Opportunities Fund on new initiatives that affect the sector. Our decentralised grant making structure is fundamental to our funding ethos. We have grant-making committees for each of the four countries of the UK and for the UK as a whole. Committees for the nine England regions have been delegated the role of taking decisions on applications within their regions, starting with small grants and then main grants. The England Committee awards England-wide grants and provides a strategic overview.

After July 1999 the Charities Board will reduce in size while the Country Committees increase their numbers. In England, the nine Chairs of the Regional Awards Committees will be co-opted to the England commitee. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland up to three new members will be co-opted. We advertise these positions and recruit openly. The Charities Board is committed to the principle of geographical equity in our grant-making. We allocate funds and distribute grants between the four UK countries and the nine England regions by head of the population, weighted by deprivation. However, some areas that have high levels of deprivation have received relatively little funding. Over the next three years we will launch priority areas initiatives to increase funding to these areas. We plan to put more emphasis on monitoring grants and evaluating our programmes to ensure that our grant giving makes a real difference to people at disadvantage. The Strategic plan envisages that we will evaluate the impact of these programmes to ensure that Lottery money goes where it is most needed. Act Conveyancing Sydney